When Sasuke Met Naruto (SasuNaru)

- Chapter 50 -

A young Sasuke stood in the middle of the small island near the Uchiha mansion, surrounded by trees. His eyes were closed, and in his hand he held a small, rubber ball. A breeze blew by, rustling the leaves and causing his black hair to blow to the side.

Then he heard it – the snapping of a twig. Hurriedly, he spun around and chucked the rubber ball into a nearby bush. A moment later, a smiling Itachi emerged, rubbing his cheek.

"Well, you got me."

Itachi tilted his head to the side as he dropped the ball in his little brother's hand. "Now what makes you say that? You think I wanted to get hit in the face like that?"

"Because you always win when we play ninja. The only way I could beat you was if you let me win."

Itachi bent down and stared his brother in the eye. "Well, well... aren't you the observant one? I guess you got me."

"I knew it," Sasuke said, turning his head to the side in frustration.

"Okay, so I let you win that time. You know what, though? There's more to being a ninja than being able to listen well. You also have to be able to deceive others, and to be able to see through others' deception. Today, you were the better ninja in that respect."

Sasuke's eyes brightened. "R-really?"

"You bet. Now, what do you say we head home for dinner?" Itachi asked, turning his back to the younger Uchiha. "Come on, I'll give you a ride."

Hopping onto his brother's back, Sasuke was positively beaming as they headed back to the canoe tied up on the shore. They then rode back to the mainland, where Sasuke raced up to the mansion while Itachi secured the canoe to the dock. Upon stepping inside the house, however, he heard voices coming from the kitchen, causing him to grin mischievously.

Time to put those ninja skills to the test...

Sidling along the wall, Sasuke stood at the edge of the kitchen and listened as his parents spoke in hushed tones.

"Are you sure about this, dear? Isn't there any other way?" his mother asked.

"There was another way, but unfortunately that option's no longer on the table. Obito would've been a perfect candidate, too... his death was truly unfortunate," Mr. Uchiha replied, sounding rather frustrated.

"But... he's our son. What if... I mean, there's only a 25% chance..."

"What other choice do we have?" Sasuke's dad exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table. "If the Sharingan Project fails, we're finished! We have to take that chance!"

His heart palpitating, Sasuke suddenly felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. Glancing up, he found a very serious-looking Itachi staring into the kitchen. He cleared his throat. "Mom, Dad – we're back."

The Uchiha parents were quiet for a moment before their father finally spoke. "I see. Go wash up, then – dinner will be ready soon."

After hurrying along to the bathroom, Sasuke stood beside his brother at the sink, washing his hands and arms thoroughly. He felt scared, for reasons he did not quite understand. "Itachi? Do you know what Mom and Dad were talking about in there?"

The elder Uchiha paused. "Yes, I do... and it's nothing you need to worry about, okay?"

"Will you tell me?"

Smiling, Itachi poked his brother in the forehead. "Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe next time..."

XXXXX

Sasuke awoke moments later with a headache. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past few weeks, after his visit with Itachi. Every time he closed his eyes, it seemed, his mind inevitably drifted back to their happier childhood days. It wasn't unusual for Sasuke to dream about his past like this, but under the circumstances the visions were not particularly welcome. Every morning, they left the Uchiha troubled and confused as he tried to fathom just what had driven his brother to murder their parents.